Do Computers Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Its conventional wisdom that excessive typing on computer keyboards is a major contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome, but a new study suggests the conventional wisdom may be wrong.
Neurologist J. Clarke Stevens recently conducted a study of 257 workers, divided into people who used computers at work and those who didn’t. Stevens found that the people who worked with computers as part of their jobs had rates of carpal syndrome similar to the general population. In other words, typing away at their computer keyboards did not increase the risk of contracting carpal tunnel syndrome.
In addition, Stevens study found that there weren’t any significant differences between computers users who developed carpal tunnel syndrome and those who didn’t. In a press release describing the study, Stevens said,
They [computer users] had similar occupations, number of years using the computer and number of hours using the computer during the day. So there were no differences that might point to computer use as a factor in causing carpal tunnel.
Sources:
Carpal study stress syndrome?. Farhad Manjoo, Wired News, June 11, 2001.
Repetitive stress pain was just ‘hysteria’. Brad Evenson, National Post, June 9, 2001.
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